Best Interests of the Student: Applying Ethical Constructs to Legal Cases in Education

Best Interests of the Student presents both a theoretical model for guiding educators as they confront legal and ethical dilemmas in their schools, as well as highly accessible and annotated court cases for exploration. The authors introduce an ethical decision-making model that focuses on strategies for determining what actions are in the "best interests of the student," and demonstrates the application of this theoretical model for examining legal and ethical dimensions of court cases. Discussion questions at the end of each case encourage readers to examine issues from differing viewpoints, helping them to become more self-reflective school leaders who can effectively address legal dilemmas in their own contexts. This important text is a valuable resource for both aspiring and practicing school administrators and leaders.

This thoroughly revised edition features:

• An entirely new chapter on conceptual and empirical insights grounding our understanding of students’ best interests

• 10 new legal cases reflecting recent developments in school law including educational needs of transgender students, immunity for student searches, conflicts between religious expression and free speech, educators’ access to students’ cell phone data, education for children of undocumented immigrants, and access to literacy as a fundamental right

• A focus on preparing school leaders to meet the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL)

• Updated information and references throughout to reflect current context, resources, and education policy

Jacqueline Stefkovich is an Independent Consultant, Researcher, and Professor Emerita in the Department of Education Policy Studies at the Pennsylvania State University, USA.

William C. Frick is the Rainbolt Family Endowed Presidential Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Oklahoma, USA.